From Buzz to Batman

Lukas went from Buzz Lightyear, Diego and Disney Pixar to Spiderman, Batman and Transformers. It's funny how he just sort of grew up over night. He can be so helpful to me and do things that I ask. He is a big boy. The other day I heard him in the bathroom with Max and he said, "Max, do you feel like you need to go potty? Here, I'll help you." Then proceeded to undress Max down to his onesie and get him to go on the potty. Max just ended up playing in the sink and Lukas was so frustrated with him b/c he wouldn't go potty. Then Lukas was trying to get Max to share and he said to him, "Max, do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?" Hmmmm, I wonder who he gets that from. Lukas LOVES to color now. He will draw all kinds of pictures and he loves to paint with watercolors. He colors inside the lines and he really takes his time. It's awesome. He will get my evelopes and paint or draw a picture for someone and want to put it in the mail. Mostly it's to me and Pat and he'll come up with a stuffed evelope and say, "Special Delivery". He really loves to color. He is also very shy. He had a primary program a few weeks ago, and Nana and Papa came to see him. When it was time for the primary kids to come up, he refused. We finally coaxed him to go up, but he sat on his teacher's lap the whole time! I was baffled! He's given talks before and LOVES to talk in the microphone. I don't know what happened, but he has really turned shy. He had to give a talk last Sunday and he absoultely would NOT look at anyone and he wouldn't stand up, so through the entire talk (which I gave) he crouched behind the podium. I was so embarrassed and a little upset. I tired to think what he might be feeling, but I was just mad. Then he had a Halloween parade at preschool today and they did a little performance singing songs and he just hid behind this pole and his teacher. I don't understand. He used to be so outgoing and friendly. I don't know what it is lately, but he does not like to be in public with attention on him. ?? Total opposite of Pat. We are really struggling with his bedtime routine, too. He can not go to sleep himself. One of us has to lay with him until he falls asleep, then in the middle of the night he finds his way to our bed. I don't know what to do. I've done charts and rewards and stickers and bribes. NOTHING is working. He and Max share a room, so you'd think he'd be fine since Max is in there with him. I just don't know if my sanity will last much longer if my nights are taken up with bedtime! We do love Lukas and hope to help him develop and grow in a positive way even amist our frustrations.

Silverpups Preschool

(October 2nd...a little late with the post...) Today was the long-awaited day of Preschool Orientation! Lukas has been asking me for months and days "Is today preschool"? Finally, I got to say YES! He woke up this morning and I asked him to get dressed (thinking it would take me asking several times for him to actually get dressed) and a few minutes later he came into my room dressed and ready to go. He said, "See how I did it the first time you asked? It's 'cause today is preschool." I couldn't get ready fast enough for him, he wanted to go RIGHT NOW. Richel & Tommy picked us up so we could all go together (Richel is Tommy's mommy). I knew right away that I was going to be one of those moms...the kind that takes pictures of every cute little thing and bawl when I take them on the first day of school. I was embarrassed to take my camera out, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't and LOOK HOW CUTE! Lukas just loved everything about his "brand new school". He goes to Riverton High School, so you think he'd be scared or intimidated of such a big school, but no, he was very excited. And he should be, it's a darling preschool and his teacher is awesome. It's actually the high school students that teach the preschool directed by Mrs. Hicks. Their classroom is so fun and I know he will learn so much this year. He wasn't scared at all and he didn't cry or anything. He just got right into things and started playing as soon as we walked in. They sang him Happy Birthday during rug time and he did so many cool things. He was very excited to put things in his cubby. There are several other neighborhood kids that go there, so it must've helped to see familiar faces. I can't wait to see what he learns and watch him grow this year! My little guy is growing up.
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Now that preschool has started, he just loves it. It's so fun for him to go to his "stations" and learn so many cool things. He has lots of friends in there and he loves his teachers. It's cute to see what he brings home and to hear him talk about what he did that day (most days I ask him what he did and he responds by saying, "I don't remember"). He gets to bring things to share with his group. His classroom has so many fun learning things in it. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see how he acts.

The Squishy Dinosaur

About a month ago, Lukas got some money from his Abuelo for his birthday. He spent it here and there and pretty soon it was almost gone. He saved his last little bit and pulled it out at the store one day. He said, "Mom, I want to buy something for me and my brother". I thought it was so cute and waited to see what happened. We went to the toys and he told Max, "You can pick whatever you want. My treat." I knew how much money he had and he still wanted to buy something for himself. He picked out a cool Transformer and was helping Max find something. Max's eye caught a dinosaur (no surprise there) and that's what he chose. It was just a few dollars and Lukas had enough to buy it for him. It was so sweet that he wanted to share with his brother. Max still loves the dinosaur and he calls it his squishy dinosaur (b/c it is very squishy).

Goodbye Buzz, Hello Batman

I don't know what happened, but overnight Lukas went from Diego, Buzz and Cars to Batman, Spiderman and Transformers. He seems so much bigger now. He loves to paint and do puzzles and draw. He can color inside the lines and his pictures of people are so cute. He can get the milk jug out of the fridge and pour himself a cup of milk. He is amazing at the computer and can get to Noggin without help. He runs to Primary and Preschool without even turning around to say goodbye. He rides his bike to Tommy's and can play for hours and hours. He loves to quote movies. Currently he watches Night at the Museum almost everyday and we rented A Bee Movie and he watched it over and over. He is pretty good and quoting things. His favorite food right now is Wheat Chex cereal. He can eat a whole bowl and want more (with a spoonful of sugar, of course). He likes showers now, but will still take baths. WOW! My little guy is growing up. He still has his whiney moments, but he is learning and growing so much. It is so fun to see him figure things out.

My Dad, the Nurse

Lukas was outside playing in the sandbox with Tommy. I was inside doing dishes and Pat had just gotten home from school. Lukas came running in, went right past me with Tommy in tow. I could hear Lukas say to Tommy, "It's okay, Tommy. My dad's a nurse" . Apparently, Lukas got a little owie on his finger and came in to have his daddy, the nurse look at it! Pat looked at it, bandaged it up and then checked his heart beat with his stethascope to make him feel all better. It was too cute!

Growing Up

I feel like Lukas is growing up so fast. He loves to color and concentrates so hard at staying in the lines. He does really well. He can put puzzles together and enjoys them. It's fun to see how many things he can do by himself. He likes to play with Max, but it doesn't last long before they start fighting. :( And Max is at that cute age where he's just learning to talk and everything he says is adorable. Lukas picks up on that and will start talking like Max to get attention. Pat and I have tried to compliment him when he does big boy things so he gets that positive attention. It's hard not to be annoyed, but we love him. He is looking forward to preschool which starts in October.

Birthday Boy

This is the day Lukas has anticipated for the past month! He's turning 4 today! We've been planning and sending out invites and getting things ready all week. We baked and decorated cupcakes on Friday and for days we counted how many more sleeps until this day finally came. Yesterday his Tia Patty came over to give him his present b/c she and Uncle Andres couldn't make it to the party. He loved getting a present early and was so excited. He got the coolest Batman toy from them, and I think I like playing with it as much as he does. Then today we woke him up early by singing to him and Max gave him a present. He was grumpy to be woken up and then realized what day it was and he immediately had a smile on his face. We started early and I wore everyone out by planning three seperate parties. We had a friend party in the morning and Pat's family for lunch and my family for dinner. (I just feel that it's better to keep them seperate and smaller so that Lukas can focus his attention on each family and not be so overwhelmed). I think it turned out wonderful! He chose a Go Diego Go! theme for his parties. Everything turned out so cute and he had a blast ALL day! We had the first 2 parties at the park and the kids loved playing on the playground and just running around. Except I forgot to put sunscreen on Lukas and now he has a little red face and neck! Oops! And it was at a splash park and Lukas got soaked.

I didn't think the water would be on, but sure enough it was! He had lots of fun running around with his friends (Tommy, Holden, Eli, Eliza, Jeffrey) and then when his cousins came later, he still had energy to run around with them. We had dinner at the house and my family came for that. It was great to see how happy Lukas was all day and how cute he was saying thank you and hugging everyone. Wow, he's 4! He is sure smart and it's amazing to me how much he knows and learns each day. We love him and feel so blessed that he is part of our lives! All day he kept saying, "I'm the Birthday Boy".

You could tell he felt special and I hope he knows how special he is! Each time a new party would start, his eyes would get wide and he'd say, "Another party? Is it still my birthday?" He has cupcakes 3 times and got so many fun gifts! He is worn out and will probably sleep in tomorrow...oh wait, we have church at 9. And he has to give a talk in primary. So he'll have a nap after church, then. :) We love you Lukas, Happy Birthday! And THANK YOU to everyone who came to the parties and gave such cute, fun gifts.

I Can Do It By Myself

Lukas is at a fun age where he really likes to be independent and do things himself (I think he's always had this desire, but can now actually do things himself). And I really like this because I no longer have to change his diapers, make his bed (unless I want it to look good), force him to brush his teeth or dress him. However, there are some disadvantages to this. He dresses himself, and therefore he grabs the first thing he sees and puts it on. Nothing new, right. But it can be embarrassing. EXAMPLE: I took the kids to the Thanksgiving Point Barn to meet up with a friend and her kids. Lukas dressed himself for the day and was wearing his too-small Buzz Lightyear PJ top (that he wore to bed the night before), his new batman socks with crocks and shorts and batman tatoos all over his legs and hands. I love his independence, but c'mon! Today he wore his cute shark shorts with a long-sleeved striped polo shirt. It just does not go together, but I what can I do? I am just happy that he can do it himself. :)Other things Lukas can do himself:

• get a snack from the pantry


• go to his blog and play Toy Story games or games on Noggin


• make his own bed (not very neatly, yet)


• get himself in and out of the tub (as long as I get the water temp right)


• walk to and from Tommy's house


• open the garage to get his bike out


• put his helmet on and go for a bike ride


• clear his place after dinner
• say a prayer for the food or our nightly family prayer

Funny Things I Say

Lukas says some funny things. Like this week he said...

• "You lost your luck, Mom".
• I was telling Lukas that Abuelo (Pat's Dad) was coming over. Lukas said, "Is he the one I'm shy of?"
• Lukas was telling me that he wanted me to lay with him for bedtime. He was pleading with me and saying, "But mom, you're my girlfriend. I like being around you. You're my partner".
• We were driving to the park and I took a wrong turn and had to flip it. Lukas said, "You went the wrong way, Silly".
• "Me needer" aka me neither
• He calls McDonald's "Old MacDonald's"
• "I'll just be happy when you get me milk."

Meanie

Lukas is quite the character. He gets frustrated easily and starts acting the way I act when I get frustrated (uh oh!). He'll stomp out of the room and say "fine then". He constantly is fighting with Max. The second I'm out of sight or my back is turned, he'll hit, push, bump or be mean to Max. It gets me so mad, but I don't know what to do to stop it. He goes to time out a lot or gets threats, but nothing seems to really work b/c he keeps doing it. Some day Max will turn on him. And I'll turn my head.

I Can Draw

One of Lukas' new favorite games it to play "Bic-tionary" (aka pictionary). He basically draws the same thing, but labels it different. Here is my favorite...it could be a dinosaur, Max, Buzz or Mike Wazowski. You decide!

Lukas at age 3 and 3/4

Lukas has grown in many ways...some good, some bad. He no longer wakes up screaming (well, most of the time). However, he wails on Max whenever he gets the chance. Usually when I decide to step out the room for a second. I can't understand why he wants to hit and torment poor Max so much. I was talking to a neigbor with older boys and she says it gets better. I'll just hold my breath and wait... Lukas is awesome on the computer and can navigate almost anywhere. He plays games, watches trailers, and blogs (with my help). He loves to play pictionary and draw the coolest looking dinosaurs. I'll have to take a picture of his drawings. The eyes are always my favorite. He is better at eating, but still loves milk and chocolate milk. Every moring he wakes up and wants a popsicle. Or a cookie if we made any. He has a hard time sleeping in his own bed and by 3 in the morning usually ends up in ours. He is the worst at going to bed unless he is really tired. Some nights he'll stay up as lat as Pat and I (midnight) and then sleep in the next morning 'til 9. He gets really fiesty and back talks a lot. If he's mad, he'll storm out of the room or slam the door. He also will come up to me and hug me out of no where and kiss me wherever he can reach. Every day he wants to play with Tommy. And he loves riding his bike with his helmet on. He is a great cleaner-upper and freaks out if he's cleaning and Max is playing and making a mess. He likes to paint pictures and then mail them to friends and family.

Here are some funny things he has said:

• Let I see. (Let me see)
  
• Is this water seasoned? (water proof)
  
• In his prayers he'll say..."thank you for that we don't have bad dreams".
  
• Don't talk mean!
  
• I just have something to tell you.
  
• You're my best friend. (Said to daddy)
  
• I wonder where he learned that.
  
• See, I told ya.
  

I say the funniest things

Here are some funny things I've heard Lukas say lately...

• Pat and I were hugging and he walked by and said, "Hey, is there room for three?"
• Someone was telling Lukas to be careful or go wash his hands or something and he gets frustrated and says, "You're not the parent!"
• I asked him who his friends were and he quickly said, "Tommy, Nana, Aunt Mindy, Karsten, Polly is my friend. And Whitney is my friend. Karsten, oh, I already said him didn't I? Daddy and Max too."
• We were at Gma's house and it was getting late so I laid my head down and said, "Can you drive us home, I'm tired." He got upset and said, "Only parents drive mom and I'm a kid!" I also told him that I was going to document this conversation for when he was 16 and wanted to drive.
• He likes to disagree with everything I say..."No, it's not. Yes, it is. No, it's not."

July 10th, 2008

I started a blog for Lukas so I can journal his life. My mom kept a book of things she had written down from my childhood (funny things I did or said) and I cherish reading it. I want the same for him. So, this will be where I document his daily doings. And eventually this will be turned into a blog book (blurb.com)! Here are some fun facts about Lukas at age 3...

• He is very particular about his clothes not turning inside out when he takes them off.


• He picks up words from songs and can sing them. (Like from his shows/cartoons/movies).


• He loves to play with Tommy, a little boy who lives a couple of houses away.


• He has endless energy and muliplies it the second I get on the phone.


• He doesn't like to have a dirty bum after going potty, and will come out of the bathroom naked so I can check him.


• He can almost make a PB&J sandwich all by himself.


• He picks up quickly on things we say...and don't want repeated.


• He dresses himself in long sleeves and pants in 100 degree weather!


• He likes to have a blanket on his lap when we're driving in the car.


• He still loves milk and drinks way too much of it.


• He could watch Noggin all day if I let him.


• As soon as I'm out of sight, he'll sneak Max's binkie, or bump into Max to knock him over, or squirt water on him, or throw sand on his head or...you get the idea.


• He loves taking pictures with my digital camera.


• He can turn the sprinklers on manually (he lays on the dirty concrete and reaches inside the scary spider-filled sprinkler box on the ground)!


• He will answer the phone when it rings and have conversations with whomever called.


• He saves his money and picks out what he wants at the store and pays for it by himself.


• He is really good with dogs (especially Rascal).